The Marauder Years, Christmas 1965
by Gypsy Lupin-Black
Summary: Series: The Early Years:: Fic number: ONE -- Sirius and James find out the truth about Santa... x-mas challenge! Please read and review!


Disclaimer: No own, No money, No sue.  
  
Title: Marauder Early Years, Volume 1: Christmas '65  
  
By: Gypsy Lupin-Black  
  
"And we need. to stay awake all-all night! We'll talk. to him this. year. You'll see. Siri!" James said between bounces on his bed. He fell to his knees and his glasses fell off his nose and bounced off the bed.  
  
A short boy with long raven black hair sat on the carpeted floor of his best friend's room. James's glasses landed in his lap. Sirius grinned up at him. He was missing the canine tooth on his left side. "Defin'ly! Youw mum thaid thes making Colouw cookieth for Thanta and uth."  
  
(AN: yes, young Sirius has a lisp! Leave him alone!! ^.~ tee hee: 'what's your name?' 'Thiwiuth.' lol!!)  
  
James had started bouncing again, and Sirius threw the glasses up at him. With a crunch, James landed on them. "Aww nuts!" James said. He jumped off the bed, and ran to the open door of his room, crushed glasses in hand.  
  
"Mum! I did it again!" he yelled down the hall.  
  
"Jamie bwoke ith glatheth again!" Sirius called.  
  
James's mum, Klyo, appeared in the doorway. "How did you do it this time, honey?" she asked, taking the smashed glasses from her five year old's small hand.  
  
"Siri threw them at me." He said.  
  
"Yeah, and you jumpt on them!" Sirius retorted.  
  
Klyo smiled and pulled out her wand. "Occulus Reparo." She said, tapping the glasses with the tip of her wand. Instantly, the glasses repaired themselves. She handed them back to her son and ruffled his hair. "There you go, honey. You two looking forward to tonight?"  
  
"Yeth!" Sirius gave Klyo a huge grin. James nodded happily, pushing his glasses back onto his nose.  
  
"Are the cookies done yet, mummy?" James asked.  
  
"Almost. You two want to come downstairs and have some when they come out?"  
  
"Cookie!!" Sirius bounced past Klyo and down the stairs, James hot on his heels. She smiled as she followed the two boys. Sirius Black was nothing like the rest of his family. Klyo had to admit a certain surprise, even though she knew what the Blacks were like, that they didn't want their son home on Christmas Eve. Sirius was one of the few Blacks that Klyo found it was a joy to have around.  
  
Dinner that night was a raucous affair. James and Sirius kept going on about how they would be staying up all night to talk to Santa. Klyo and her husband exchanged amused glances at this. James' little sister and brother were tug-of-waring the mashed potatoes bowl and yelling at each other. James' oldest brother, Ryan, a 2rd year, was chatting with his father about Hogwarts and doing the best he could to ignore is siblings and Sirius. Rowan, who would be going to Hogwarts in three years, listened excitedly.  
  
"Mummy, we *can* sleep in the living room, can't we?" Jamie asked.  
  
"Oh, mum, honestly! Can't we just tell them the truth and get it over with?" Ryan asked, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Ryan!" Klyo admonished, just as Sirius spoke.  
  
"Twuth about what?"  
  
"About Santa Claus." Ryan said flatly, ignoring his mum. Nathan and Halie fell silent, the mashed potato bowl forgotten, as they looked at their brother expectantly.  
  
"Ryan, may I speak with you for a moment?" William Potter asked, standing up. Ryan sighed and followed his father out of the room.  
  
"What about Santa?" James asked. Klyo smiled and reached over to smooth James' hair, for all the good it did.  
  
"He's very hard to spot, you know. And on Christmas Eve, I'm not sure he'll have much time to talk with you two. Think of all the houses he has to get to." She said. Sirius and James looked at her.  
  
"We can thtill thleep in the living woom, wight?" Sirius said after a moment. Klyo laughed.  
  
"Yes, you two may. Now, help your brother clear the table." Klyo gestured to Rowan and the dishes as she stood and pulled the three year old twins out of their chairs.  
  
After the dishes were cleared, Mr. Potter helped James and Sirius set up sleeping bags in the living room. "Now, you two have to promise to thank Santa Claus for the presents he brings you, ok?" Mr. Potter said.  
  
Sirius, who was rummaging through the belongings he'd brought from his house, looked up and grinned. "We will." He pushed his hair back out of his face and jumped to his feet. "I found Pup." He triumphantly held up a *very* loved stuffed black dog. One of its glass eyes was missing and it had been sewed up multiple times.  
  
"Good, now, you both brushed your teeth?" Mr. Potter asked as the two boys climbed into bed.  
  
"Yes, dad." James yawned.  
  
"Don't fall athleep, Jamie!" Sirius warned, his own voice thicker from drowsiness.  
  
"Good night, boys." Mr. Potter kissed James' head, then headed for the stairs.  
  
"Good night, dad!" James called back.  
  
The two boys found they weren't able to keep their eyes open for long. Soon enough, Sirius' eyes closed, and he didn't hear James' light snores start a moment later.  
  
*THUMP* "Ow. . ." Sirius woke up to find that he'd rolled off the couch he'd been sleeping on. Sleeping? "Jamie!!"  
  
"Wha--?" James jerked awake, blinking.  
  
"We fell athleep! What if we mithed 'im?"  
  
James rolled over and looked at the tree. "There's no presents under there yet. I don't think we missed-Shh! You hear that?"  
  
Someone had stepped on the creaky stair. Sirius and James both dove under their sleeping bags, pretending to be asleep. Mr. Potter came into the living room, paused, then left again. They heard him shuffle down the hall to his study. Both boys' heads popped out from under the covers.  
  
"It's ok. He was just looking in on-" James stopped, staring at the door of the hallway Mr. Potter had just gone down. Sirius turned to see what was wrong.  
  
Presents were floating through the air, one after another, landing lightly under the tree. Mr. Potter followed the last of them in, then, not noticing James and Sirius watching him, he leaned down and rearranged the gifts under the tree.  
  
James could be silent no longer. "Dad?" Mr. Potter jumped, then turned to look at his son. "What are you doing? Where's Santa?"  
  
"Er. . ."  
  
Sirius stood up. His eyes were large. "Bella wath wight. The told me that Thanta wathen't weal. I didn't believe her." He sighed and shared a look with James.  
  
"No Santa?" James echoed.  
  
Mr. Potter sat by him on the couch and put an arm around his shoulders. "I was shocked when I found out too, son. But you know what I learned?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Santa is real. He shows us what is good. Kind. He was a real person once, and his magic is still around. It is part of our very world. It is in our blood."  
  
"It ith?" Sirius asked, joining them on the couch. James was also staring at him in wonder. Mr. Potter nodded.  
  
"Oh." James thought about what his father had told him for a moment. Then his eyes strayed to the gifts glittering under the tree. "Dad?"  
  
"Yes, son?"  
  
"Can Siri and I open presents now?"  
  
There it is, boys and girls. Me (only slightly late) x-mas fic! I'm having writers block in NSD, but I'll get back to it soon! Please review! 


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